One third of adults sleep deprived

More than one out of three American adults do not get enough sleep, according to a study released on Thursday (local time) from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

"That's a big problem" says Dr Nancy Collop, director of the Emory Sleep Centre at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, who is familiar with the study.

"You don't function as well, your ability to pay attention is reduced, and it can have serious, long-term side-effects."

At least seven hours of sleep is considered healthy for adults aged 18 to 60, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

CDC analysed data from a 2014 survey of 444,306 adults and found 65.2 percent of respondents reported getting that amount of sleep.

"Lifestyle changes such as going to bed at the same time each night; rising at the same time each morning; and turning off or removing televisions, computers, mobile devices from the bedroom, can help people get the healthy sleep they need," said Dr Wayne Giles, director of the CDC's Division of Population Health.

Getting less than seven hours a night is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and frequent mental distress, the study shows.